How to Make Curves With Plastic Edging

The time saved from having to constantly weed flower beds and trim weeds around edges makes all the time spent installing garden bed edging well worth the effort. You can use any number of materials as edging, including stones, metal and even old China plates, but plastic polyvinyl edging works especially well because of its flexibility, which allows it to conform to curves without leaving open gaps between the material. Plastic edging lies below soil grade, providing a barrier to prevent grass roots from spreading into unwanted areas. Plastic edging pliability is limited, however, so it works best for edging gradual curves.

1

Lay the strips of plastic edging flat in full sun for a few hours while you prepare the ground for edging installation. Full sun on a hot day works best to soften the edging, making it easier to bend and hold shape. Measure the edging height to determine the depth needed for the trench, usually 4 to 6 inches.

2

Lay out the flower bed design, using flexible garden hoses to create the curves and straight lines for the flower bed, as desired. Lay a second hose 6 inches out from the first hose. Spray line-marking spray paint along the hoses to transfer the outline. If you are installing edging against an existing curved flower bed, you can simply follow the flower bed shape without using garden hoses.

3

Cut straight down into the soil along both lines, digging to a depth equal to the plastic edging height, using a spade or half-moon edger. Remove all the soil between the two lines to create a trench. Spread the soil until level and pack the bottom of the trench tightly.

4

Set the plastic edging in the trench; cut pieces with tin snips as needed. Plastic edging usually has a hollow channel at the top that should rest just above soil grade. Stand the edging against the outside edge of the trench.

5

Bend plastic edging to fit the curves in the trench. If you want to make the plastic easier to bend, you can roll a piece over a large barrel so it has a natural bend before you place it in the trench. Try to use only single pieces along curves rather than joining two separate pieces because the joints become more noticeable along curves and at corners.

6

Join separate pieces of plastic edging with a coupler -- usually included when you purchase plastic edging. Cut approximately 5 inches of the hollow channel off one end of one of the pieces, which allows 5 inches of overlap to prevent weeds from spreading between the two pieces. Insert a coupler in the hollow channel one piece of edging and hold it in place as you push it into the channel of the other piece. Drive a 12-inch metal stake at an angle through the bottom of the joint to hold the two overlapping pieces together at the base.

7

Drive additional stakes into the edging every 4 feet along straight edges and every 2 feet along curves to help hold the curve. Insert the stakes at an angle from the inside of the trench, through the edging and into the soil on the opposite side of the edging.

8

Push soil tight against the edging to hold it upright as you backfill the trench. Water the soil lightly and pack it down with your feet or a hand tamper. You want to pack the soil tight enough to prevent the edging from shifting. When installed along a flower bed, you can fill the trench partially with soil and add mulch on top to blend the trench with the adjoining flower bed.

Things You Will Need

Garden hoses

Measuring tape

Line-marking spray paint

Spade

Half-moon edger

Shovel

Tin snips

Barrel (optional)

Razor knife

12-inch metal stakes

Rubber mallet

Hand tamper

Tip

You might find it easier to place edging, drive stakes and backfill the trench one section at a time, especially because the edging can easily shift out of position if you attempt to lay it all at the same time.

About the Author

A former cake decorator and competitive horticulturist, Amelia Allonsy is most at home in the kitchen or with her hands in the dirt. She received her Bachelor's degree from West Virginia University. Her work has been published in the San Francisco Chronicle and on other websites.